Schonmuller, Darling Win Council Positions

At last night's Undergraduate Council meeting, newly elected officers emphasized two main goals for their upcoming terms: The council must earn respect in the eyes of students and maintain connections to their constituents.

"We've heard all about our illegitimacy as an organization," President Noah Z. Seton '00 said in his remarks. "But this year, there are no more excuses."

Beth A. Schonmuller '01, a Kirkland and former vice chair of the Finance Committee, won the race for secretary.

Schonmuller said that her primary goal is to make sure the campus is aware of and involved in the council's activities.

"Getting back to the students," she said, "is really important."

While campaigning, she said the council's biannual newsletter, The Student Voice, is one of the most effective ways to reach out to the student body.

"I'd like to see The Student Voice get out to the students again," Schonmuller said. "It's a way to let the students know what the U.C. is doing.'

Answering what Seton called the "$40,000 question" fell to the candidates in the race for treasurer.

"My hope is that we will never again open up a bank account and find $40,000 the council discovered in a forgotten bank account earlier this year.

In the final count, however, former council secretary and Currier House representative Sterling P.A. Darling '01 edged out Hawkins and Kirkland representative Steve W. Chung '00 in a second runoff vote. In his campaign speech, Darling promised to be committed to the office.

"I will hold office hours every day and hand deliver every check I write," Darling said. "Everything will be dispersed immediately."

Darling also suggested a complete audit of the council's books and an announcement of the balance of all accounts at each meeting.

In other council business, Seton stated his goals for the spring semester citing the student satisfaction ratings compiled for the recent scrutiny published in The Crimson, "Are Harvard students happy?"

"Our constituents give the lowest grades to their social life of any part of their experience here," he said. "Our classmates would like to go out more often, they feel they work too much on the weekends.

Seton also mentioned poor advising and a lack of House spirit as problems the council should deal with.

"It's time for this U.C. to take these problems on our shoulders, develop solutions for the students' needs, and in the course of doing so, build a reputation as a truly representative body," he said in his remarks.

Seton also mentioned the council funds discovered at the beginning of the year, although he had no suggestions as to the final destination of the funds.

"We are an evolving organization, still relatively young, that is finding our carrying weight.... That means we have to put our financial house in order so incidents like the $40,000 never happen again," Seton said.

Vice-President Kamil E. Redmond '99 kept her remarks short, reminding council members that they are required to hold office hours open to their constituents.

"We are returning to office hours." Redmond said, requesting that all representatives commit to a time slot. Redmond also promoted the upcoming special elections for vacant council seats.

"There's lots of slots open," she said. "Tell your friends."

Later in the meeting Redmond announced that the Ivy Council, and organization composed of representatives from the student governments of Ivy League schools, will hold its spring conference at Harvard this year.

"This is a big thing," she said. "Dartmouth [host of last year's conference] put on an amazing show last year and we're going to have to do the same."

Another upcoming event for the council is the first-year formal, to be held February 20.

"I think every first-year knows about it now, because we're being very loud and obnoxious about it," said Naz F. Firnoz '02, speaking on behalf of the first-year caucus.